Lessons (Not) Learned with Regard to Human Rights and Democracy: A Comparison of Kosovo, Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina

Project summary:

The aim of the project was to analyse and compare lessons learned from the role of the international community in countries of South Eastern Europe. The situation in South Eastern Europe was examined in the light of international administration. The local effects of limited missions carried out by the international community about human rights and democracy were analzsed with regard to local impacts.

The starting point of the inquiry was the experiences and future perspective of the involvement of the international community in Kosovo. International administration has significantly been justified with the objective of improving the local situation of human rights and democracy. Thusfar, literature concerned with human rights and international administration has largely been written by foreign experts who were themselves involved in international missions or studied them in the course of external research.

The strategies employed and the results achieved are partly being asked by local researchers and their empirical investigations. The purpose of the project is to give young researches voices and opportunities to carry out research to test their own hypotheses. Thus the project aims at contributing to the objective of increasing local research capacity and creating ownership of research results.

The results of this project will be published and available both electronically and in book form.

Project dates:

The ETC has realised this project together with the Austrian Science and Research Liaison Offices Ljubljana and Sofia (ASO), and partners from the University of Prishtina, the South-East European University in Tetovo; and the University of Sarajevo; the project took place from May 2008 until March 2009.